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  • Children of Blood and Bone

  • Written by: Tomi Adeyemi
  • Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
  • Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (506 ratings)

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Children of Blood and Bone

Written by: Tomi Adeyemi
Narrated by: Bahni Turpin
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Publisher's Summary

Winner of the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year

This program is narrated by acclaimed reader Bahni Turpin, whose past work includes The Hate U Give and The Underground Railroad

"Bahni Turpin's breathtaking narration of this exhilarating novel will keep listeners rooted to their seats, listening intently...an audiobook not to be missed." (AudioFile magazine, Earphones Award winner)

In Children of Blood and Bone, Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut.

They killed my mother.

They took our magic.

They tried to bury us.

Now we rise.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zélie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers - and her growing feelings for an enemy.

Praise for Children of Blood and Bone:

"[Narrator Bahni Turpin] excels at customizing her voice to capture the unique personalities of each character.... This excellent, refreshing performance of Adeyemi's exciting debut is recommended for all collections where fantasy is popular." (Booklist, starred review)

"One of the biggest young adult fiction debut book deals of the year. Aside from a compelling plot and a strong-willed heroine as the protagonist, the book deals with larger themes, like race and power, that are being discussed in real time." (Teen Vogue)

©2018 Tomi Adeyemi (P)2018 Macmillan Audio

What the critics say

"Bahni Turpin's breathtaking narration of this exhilarating novel will keep listeners rooted to their seats, listening intently.... Turpin's captivating narration, with incantations sung in Yoruba, intense battles, and lively, devastating dialogue, makes this an audiobook not to be missed." (AudioFile)

"[Narrator Bahni Turpin] excels at customizing her voice to capture the unique personalities of each character.... This excellent, refreshing performance of Adeyemi's exciting debut is recommended for all collections where fantasy is popular." (Booklist)

Editorial Review

The ruler wants them wiped out. They must suppress their true selves, or die in the face of conformity. Though the maji of Orïsha have been oppressed, stripped of power, and beaten down, something is brewing deep within. A growing force in the dark and quiet places, ready to make itself heard once more. The Children of Blood and Bone will be silenced no more.

In the fictional land of Orïsha, people are divided into the magical and the not. When an oppressive ruler sought to eradicate all traces of magic, the gifted maji quickly learned to suppress their magical abilities or die. Zélie Adebola’s mother was one of the gifted and unlucky ones. Since then, the king has found a way to switch off magical abilities within his kingdom. When a chance encounter between Zélie and Princess Amari offers a way to bring the magic back, the two find themselves on the run, with an epic quest ahead.

Tomi Adeyemi weaves a wondrous tale of magic and fantasy steeped in West African mythology and culture. A triumph in the young adult fantasy genre, Children of Blood and Bone is sure to take listeners of all ages by storm. The tale offers everything you could want from a fantasy story: excitement, magic, uprising, and adventure, paired with strong characters that pull at heartstrings and form bonds with the audience. And it’s narrated by the brilliant and prolific Bahni Turpin. Winner of the Audie Award for Audiobook of the Year, this listen is a true masterpiece.

Adeyemi has been praised not only for her literary and narrative skills, creating a deep and complex world for her characters and their adventures. She roots everything in a deep sense of history and knowledge that adds layers of meaning and subtext to her work. Parallels between the divided people and their skin colour highlight racial tensions and cultural unrest, while the rebellious spirit of Zélie and her supporters reference political uprising and social justice. Within a gripping work of fiction, Adeyemi powerfully highlights oppression and the different paths taken in the face of it. At once an enthralling tale of fantasy and magic and a platform for change, Children of Blood and Bone is a pause-resistant listen that will leave you thinking. Adeyemi continues the story in her sequel, Children of Virtue and Vengeance.

Featured Article: The Best Young Adult Audiobooks For Women Of All Ages


Many people equate "growing up" with "growing serious." But while interests may change over time, age does not have to be the deciding factor in what games you play, movies, or books you enjoy. Young adult novels are the perfect example of this. Though written with a teenage audience in mind, women of all ages are sure to enjoy the genre’s hallmarks: strong yet flawed characters, heartbreaking twists and turns, romance, and drama.

What listeners say about Children of Blood and Bone

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Narration was disappointing

Wish this story was narrated by someone who knew the language well enough to pronounce the words properly. As a Yoruba person I struggled to connect with this book which I didn’t think would be a problem when purchasing it.

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20 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing story, horrible narration

The storyline told this book is fantastic for a fantasy book, however, it is obvious that no thought was put in to choosing an appropriate narrator for it. Most of the names, incantations and places are Yoruba, a Nigerian language. The narrator completely butchers pronunciations and accents. As a Nigerian, I can’t help but cringe every time the words are read horribly. They most definitely should have found a Nigerian narrator to make the story more appealing to the ears.

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I’m speechless!

Wow. What a book. It is a breath of much needed (and long overdue) fresh air. I am so glad I bought the kindle version and the audible as well. I think I might even buy the physical book too just so I can see it in my shelf and show it off. I feel so blessed, grateful and proud to be who I am and see my people represented so beautifully.

Thank you Tomi for writing this book. You’ve inspired me to start putting words onto paper of a story that I’ve had in my head for years. And thank you Bahni for your incredible narration.
Coming across gems like this book are like a gift from the gods themselves. The future shines brighter than ever before!



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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely amazing

I WANT MORE!! I had to check and make sure there was a sequel coming because I need to know what happened!! Did magic come back? Such a powerful, moving, gripping story. Wonderfully written and performed. I hope there is a movie in the works because I would love to see this story told on big screen! The author's note at the end is also incredibly moving. Strongly recommend that everyone read/listen to this book.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Horrible Nigerian accent

I love the story so far, but the Nigerian accent is so bad I can't continue. Most Nigerians speak English, so obviously no attempt was made to find a Nigerian performer to narrate this book. I really really wanted to ignore it but I just can't help cringing when she butchers a pronunciation. No Nigerian can listen to this without cringing despite the lovely story.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enough of the Unique to Maintain Interest

There isn't all that much innovative about this novel. Tomi Adeyemi writes a fairly typical Young Adult Fantasy story - an underprivileged misunderstood teenaged protagonist (with unusual powers/skills, a Heart of Gold, and a 'Save The World' destiny).. dystopian villainous authorities oppressing/ostracizing him/her.. a "complicated" love plotline of some kind.. But she does it well: Her dialogue, characterizations, and descriptions are excellent. Her plot progression and pacing are creditable. This is a well-fashioned and well-written novel.
The problem is that there isn't much new here beyond the setting (based on traditional African mythology).. but that's enough to render this formulaic novel interesting.

The weakest aspect of this audiobook is the narration. Bahni Turpin does a professional reading job - clear, interested, voice-acted nicely - but her African accent is obviously affected and, at times, laughable. Furthermore, her pace of reading is legitimately awful - I had to speed playback to 1.25X just to make it tolerable.

Altogether this is a quality, if unoriginal, YA Fantasy adventure with average narration - it's worth a Credit. If you have read Suzanne Collins ('Hunger Games'), Leigh Bardugo ('Shadow and Bone'), or even James Dashner ('Maze Runner') then you have read Adeyemi - the pattern is nothing new - but if you enjoyed those authors, you will enjoy this one. Even with the cartoonish performance, 'Children of Blood and Bone'  has enough distinguishing qualities to merit 6 stars out of 10.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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A new wold full of adventure

I was swept up in the world. A new wold full of adventure that kept me sneaking in time to read.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • B
  • 2018-08-31

Loved it!

The narrator was amazing!! Really brought the story to life.
The novel is full of adventure and kept me wanting to read more. Highly recommend.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Stunning performance of a fantastic story

This is a great fantasy novel. I'm excited for the next one in this series. The narration was amazing. I was absolutely blown away by the performance.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

🚨 ! girlboss trilogy alert ! 🚨

seriously folks this is hunger games level trilogy. here are my notes:

- hard to get into
- changes in perspective + dreamscape aspect = hard to follow at times
- good lessons
- romance exactly when u need a break from the intensity
- watch the main character grow
- strong side characters
- amazing reader!! great acting
- final battle scene IS CRAZYYYYY
- CRIEDDDDDD AT THE END
- ~must~ listen to author’s note
- thank god there’s a sequel

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